Jockey Jorge Chavez, who was unseated during the running of the ninth race at
Aqueduct Racetrack on Sunday, December 4, was diagnosed at North Shore
University Hospital with a left clavicle fracture, five left rib fractures, and
fractures of the L1 and L2 vertebrae,
according to the NYRA Jockey Advocate. He will be sidelined at least five
months, said his agent, David Grace.

“He’s doing OK,” said
Grace. “He broke his collar bone and some ribs and fractured the vertebrae and
they kept him overnight last night. He was in good
spirits.”

Grace added that Chavez
could be released from the hospital on Monday.

In
Sunday’s race, a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden contest for New York-bred fillies and
mares, Chavez’s mount, Silver Mast, fell turning for home and dropped her rider.
The 3-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast rolled over Chavez before getting to her
feet and did not appear to be injured in the
incident.

Chavez, a 50-year-old
native of Peru, was the leading rider on the
NYRA circuit from 1994-1999 and winner of the 1999 Eclipse Award as the nation’s
Outstanding Jockey. Winner of the 2001 Kentucky Derby aboard Monarchos, Chavez
also lists two Breeders’ Cup victories on his resume – the 1999 Distaff aboard
Beautiful Pleasure and the 1999 Sprint aboard Artax. With 4,526 victories in
North America, he is ranked 37th on the career win list according to
statistics provided by Equibase. Chavez’s record on the NYRA circuit in 2011 is
22-25-38 from 297 starts, including an overnight stakes victory aboard Spa City
Princess last February at Aqueduct.